There are 3 levels of spiciness to choose from, with optional add-ons such as Yuba and Enoki Mushroom ($3 per set).

A small Fish Pot meant for 2 to 3 diners starts from $49/$59, while a large pot for 6 to 7 pax is priced at $89/$99, depending on the fish you choose.

Other than Dory and Mullet, I was most intrigued by the availability of a “Q Fish” on the menu, more commonly known as “Cui Yu” 脆鱼 or 脆肉鲩.

These farmed fishes that are specially imported have a distinctive texture that is crunchy, and if you ask me I would say in-between the usual fish and squid. There were parts which actually reminded me of fried calamari.

The preparation method looked more laborious then it seemed. The fish meat would be sliced thinly, wok-fried with specially-concocted broth, then poured over with boiling-hot oil to simulate a deep-frying process.

That cooking method results in fish slices that would have a slight crisp outer layer, yet still flavourful on the inside.

Qi Lai Feng’s recommendation for first timers would be the Spicy Fragrant Q Fish Pot ($59, $79, $99), where all the spices and herbs used gave the pot a savoury aroma.

Fish used was fresh, with that interesting-crunchy texture, and didn’t get overpowered by all the spices used such that you could still taste the sweet flavours.

”Calamari!”, “Crunchy”, “It doesn’t break,” were some comments when we had the fish – a first time for many of us.

Surprisingly, the base was not as numbing hot and intense (or even oily) as I imagined, and quite manageable.

Do not finish up all the fish and sauces. Towards the end of the meal, the chef would pour in extra broth to make flavourful pot of soup made of the ‘leftover’ ingredients.

This is what they call “一锅两吃”, in which the post can be eaten two ways – dry and soup. Certainly more value for the money.

If spiciness is not your thing and would like something more suitable for the entire family, choose the Golden Lemon which had a sweet and tangy sauce base; or Fresh Tomatoes which was enjoyable as a broth itself.

Moving on to the hotpot, there are options between Fresh Pork Bone Broth ($12), and Hot Pepper “Mala” Broth ($12); I would recommend the Dual Broth ($15) which has the best of both worlds.